Draft means



June 2; 1925. 1,540,463

L. B. DOE

DRAFT MEANS Filed Sept. 28, 1922 A TTORNE Y provision ot a drat Patented .lune '2, i925.

narran STATES farsnr orries.

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esser imputation flied september To all whom it may oeacrfn: V

Be known that l, Lemus B; Don, a citizen ot' the United States of America, residing at San Francisco, California, in the county.7 of San Francisco and State ot' Calilornia, have invented certain new and use tul ln'ivprovements in Draft Means, oit which the jfollowing is a specification.

rlhe present invention is an improved draft means and is an improvement on a device disclosed in United States Patent Number 1,391,101, issued to me on September 20, 1921.

The objects et this invention include the t means comprising a lexible member, such as a cable or chain, connecting a trailer with a tractive vehicle in such a manner that portions ot said flexible member will exert pulling force in di-V rections oblique to the line of travel, and in sucli a manner that the flexible niember will not cross itself and thereby be sub-r jected to undue wear.

In the device 're'leried to in my prior patent, the lexible member 13 crosses itself, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings ot said Letters Patent and, under certain working conditions, inequality of road surface causes a distortion ot the plane upon which the device operates and this causes friction at the point ot' contact where the chain crosses.

ln the device hereinafter described, means are shown with which l can accomplish the desired result (the maintenance, under stress olf travel, o'l" a center pull thronghoutthe train oit vehicles) and eliminate entirely the crossing ot the chain and the wear and triction incident theretollVhilc the invention is here shown in the form considered to be the best, it is not limited to such form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is to be understood that, in the following speciiication and the annexed claims, it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it maybe embodied.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trailer and a fragment of a traetive vehicle showing my device interposed therebetween.`

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, and

F 3 is a t agmentary detail on an euiviEANs.

28, 1922,' serial No, 591,171.-

larged scale showing a compressible spacer bar.

y Reterring Vto the drawings, the numerals 1 and@ indicate vthe sup ortiiig wheels o't a ti'iailer, the frame 3 ot w Viieh is supported'on springs l secured te an axle 6.

Similarivheels fand 8 on an axle 9 sup- Vport a trame 11 of a tractive vehicle. The iraine 11 is provided with hools 12 for engaging links ot a chain 13.

. OneV end of the chain 13 is secured to one of the hooks 12 and the chain is then reeved through a sheave 1d rotatively mounted on the traine 3 ot' the adjacent vehicle, thence through a sheave 16 on the frame 11, thence through a sheave 17 on the 'tra-me 3, and the free end of the chain 13 is engaged with` the other ot the hooks 12. It will be seen that, by this Zig-Zag method of reeving, the chain 13 will, throughout certain portions ot its length, exert pulling force in direction oblique to the line of travel or draft, and that these portions ollset or balance eachother to etl'ect stability and obviate side sway in travel.

Obviously, other Zig-zagtorms of reeving than that shown in the drawings might be en'iployed with good results, and any Zig- Zag form ot the llexible member 13 in which `aid member does not cross. itself and in which it can contract on one side to compensate 'for expansion on the Vother while un der strain will come within the scopeof the present invention.

At 13 I show a hollow spacer bar member adapted to spread the vehicles apart as, for

f instance, while they are ruiming down grade to preserve the proper relative positions ot the vehicles oit the train. As the bar 13 is in no sense a draft bar, I provide a pivotal connection, as shown by the pin 19, with one vehicle, and a slotted end portion 21 for yieldable pivotal engagement with the other vehicle. Arpin 22, carried by the traine 11, extends through the slot in the member 21. This slot is ot sutlicient length to permit a degree ot adjustment of the distance between the vehicles by shortening the chain 13 as, for instance, by engaging links remote from the end of the chain with one of the hooks ln Fig. 3, at 23, I show a spring in a. hollow portion oit the bar 13. One end of this spring bears against the bar 13 and the other end against the head of an eye bolt 24. The parts are held in assembled position by a cap member 26,k threaded as indicated at 27 for engagement with the bar 18. Thisstructure provides means for compressing the bar 18 and resilient means for keeping the chain 13 taut.

l may provide sheaves in lieu of the hooks l2, and carry the chain lover these sheaves and connect the two ends of the chain in such a manner that the chain will be endless and' will not at anypoint cross itself.

I claim:

l. A draft means for connecting a drawn vehicle to a tra-ctive vehicle comprising sheaves rotatively mounted onadj acent parts of said vehicles and a liexible member secured at each end to one of said vehicles and reeved zig-zag through said sheaves, alternating from a sheave on one vehicle to a sheave on the adjacent vehicle. Y

2. A trailer hitch for interposition between two vehicles comprising a flexible member means for securing one end of said member to one of said vehicles, sheaves rotatively mounted on adjacent parts of said vehicles in staggered relation whereby the said flexible member may be reeved from said secured end successively lthrough said sheaves, alternately from a sheave on one of said vehicles to a sheave on the adjacent vehicle, and means -for securing the other end of said flexible member vto one of said vehicles. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LORING B. non. 

